


Compliment

by crimsonxraptor



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Crushes, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28474215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonxraptor/pseuds/crimsonxraptor
Summary: Kageyama actually compliments Hinata and sort of acknowledges his emotions at the same time.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Kudos: 23





	Compliment

**Author's Note:**

> not a whole lot of romance in this one oops
> 
> also happy new year!

“Hinata.”

Hinata is still wrapping up his station, humming along to some tune in his head. Kageyama expects him to be tired but Hinata seems just as energized as he was when he stepped into the kitchen many hours earlier, bouncing on his toes and eyes lit up bright. His stamina never ceases to amaze Kageyama and his performance tonight simply amazed him.

He takes off his apron as Hinata stops wrapping to look up at him. Hinata tilts his head. “Yeah, Kageyama? What’s up?”

Kageyama frowns. “I told you to call me “chef” on the clock, dumbass,” he says. Hinata waves his hand at him and Kageyama reconsiders the praise he’s about to give him. “You did good tonight.”

Hinata blinks. He stares at Kageyama for a moment, silent. Kageyama stares back at him, also silent. He waits for Hinata to say something, literally anything, but Hinata doesn’t even move. 

He shakes his apron at him. “Hey! I said you did good tonight! I’m amazed you pulled it off like that after that bastard walked out!” he says in a raised voice, not quite shouting. “Take the compliment!”

Hinata yelps. “Okay, I will! Thank you! It’s just weird coming from you...” 

Kageyama crosses his arms. “Huh?”

“You never just come on up and say nice stuff to me like that! It caught me off guard!”

“Well I--I had to! You manned this whole station by yourself on one of our busiest nights this year and you didn’t even fuck up that much. I barely had to yell at you! I’m...”

Hinata grins at him behind his hand. “Are you  _ moved _ or something?”

Kageyama recoils but considers it. Maybe...maybe he is. There was something inspiring about the way Hinata moved and handled himself tonight and Kageyama felt that emotion deep in his core; it made him work harder all of service. 

He looks off to the side. “...Sure.”

Hinata gasps, clearly taken aback by Kageyama’s admission. “Wait, really?! I was kidding!”

“Yeah, well--! Goodnight!”

Kageyama turns on his heel and storms off towards the office, apron clenched in his fist. He slams the door and drops hard into his chair. He’s already done the orders he needed to do and sent the emails he needed to send, all he had left to do was check up on Hinata. He sighs, rubs his eyes. Sure, he’s gotten better at talking to his cooks, but he clearly isn’t the best at it.

He doesn’t know how long he’s sitting there when there’s a knock at the door, startling him out of his sulking. He looks up at it. “Come in!” 

Hinata appears behind the door, peeking around it like a nervous newbie. Kageyama stares at him. What was he still doing here? He was just about done when he last saw him, he should’ve gone home already. 

He says as much. “Why are you still here?”

Hinata steps fully inside and fidgets with his backpack. “I, uh, wanted to say thank you for the compliment earlier. For real this time.”

Kageyama nods, scratches his head. “Uh, sure. You’re welcome.”

“So what’re you gonna do about another garde manger cook?”

“I know a guy who knows a guy, don’t worry about it. You won’t be alone.”

Hinata beams at him. Kageyama can’t look at him too long like that; he’s too bright, too...cute.

“Awesome! Can’t wait to meet ‘im!” Hinata says. 

“We’ll see about anyone coming in tomorrow. If not do you think you can hang in there alone again? It’ll be Sunday, shouldn’t be as crazy as tonight.”

Hinata straightens up. “Of course!” he exclaims. Then he relaxes a bit and grins. “To be honest, Kageyama,”--he ignores Kageyama’s glare--”it was actually fun being in the weeds like that tonight.”

Kageyama leans back in his chair. “Adrenaline. Of course. Too bad you fucked up some dishes that got sent back or I’d be more happy for you.”

Hinata yelps and slumps. “S-sorry...”

“Service is over, it’s done.” Kageyama says. “Did you clock out yet?”

“Yep!”

“Then go home.”

Hinata adjusts his backpack and shuffles his feet. “Yeah, sure. See you tomorrow, Kageyama!”

“Hinata--”

“I’m not on the clock anymore!”

Then in a flash Hinata is gone. Kageyama listens for the back door to open and slam shut, meaning he’s all alone in the kitchen. He sighs. It’s 1am. He only leaves after Shimizu is done with her front-of-house duties, and it seems like she’s running late tonight. He stays leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, and thinks over how he could barely keep his eyes off how Hinata moved tonight. Nothing was wasted, everything was deliberate, efficient, and completely in the heat of the moment. 

Watching Hinata tonight was watching a dance, and it was Kageyama’s favorite.

**Author's Note:**

> thank y'all for reading! my fic blog is [raptorbox](http://raptorbox.tumblr.com)!


End file.
